Business Segment Information - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Contract related intangible asset impairment		$ 5.1
Business interruption insurance proceeds		3.4
Real Estate Management And Development \| Customer Relationships
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Contract related intangible asset impairment	$ 5.1	5.1
Chemicals
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Business interruption insurance proceeds		$ 3.4
Kronos Worldwide, Inc.
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Direct ownership percentage by parent		50.00%
Indirect controlling interest in subsidiary		30.00%
NL
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Direct ownership percentage by parent		83.00%
LandWell
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Direct ownership percentage by parent		27.00%
Indirect controlling interest in subsidiary		50.00%
BMI
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Direct ownership percentage by parent		63.00%
BMI \| Real Estate Management And Development
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Direct ownership percentage by parent		63.00%

The net amount (to the extent disclosed within this portion of the income statement) by which an insurance settlement exceeds incremental costs incurred from the event causing an interruption of business, plus the insurance award for earnings lost from the event, such as a natural catastrophe, explosion or fire.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64839914&loc=d3e16285-107787

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Amount of impairment loss resulting from write-down of assets, excluding financial assets and goodwill, lacking physical substance and having a projected indefinite period of benefit to fair value.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66006027&loc=d3e16373-109275

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